Six Degrees
by MadamSoprano
Summary: A One-Shot about how things may have gone if Chase had initially chosen Rebecca over Zoey. Based on The Script's Six Degrees of Separation. Chase is a tad OCC. Rated T for language.


**A.N So,this is kind of different from **_**Safe**_**. I will be really drawing from some personal experience so it may be emotional at points. I hope you guys like it.**

**Inspired by The Script's **_**Six Degrees of Separation.**_

**I OWN NOTHING.**

**WARNING: Chase is a tad OOC.**

_**First, you think the worst is a broken heart.**_

Chase Matthews eased his self down onto the couch next to Zoey Brooks.

"Can I talk to you?"

Zoey appeared to become uncomfortable.

"I don't think that's such a good-"

"I _need_ to talk to you." he asserted.

"Okay."

He ran his hands over his thighs, sighing heavily. This wouldn't be easy for him.

"Rebecca has a big problem with you and me being friends. "

"I know."

"She said... " He paused to give her a quizzical look. "You know?"

Zoey nodded. " Yeah, she came to my room and told me to stay away from you."

"She sorta said the same thing to me today."

"Did you explain to her that we're just friends?"

"Yeah."

"And she said? "

"That if I wanted her to be my girlfriend I can't... hang out with you anymore and talk to you."

She took a deep breath, resigning herself to what was about to happen.

"Okay, I get it. Look, the most important thing to me is that you're happy."

Chase's green eyes filled with tears. This was the girl he had loved for two years. He was still in love with her, to be honest.

"I'm so sorry,Zoey. I just have to see were this thing with Rebecca could go."

She felt a lump form in her throat . She could do this. She could be the supportive best friend...former best friend, anyway.

"It's fine, Chase. I'll miss you but I'll be okay...eventually." That was a lie. She would never be okay with losing her best friend. And truthfully, the boy she had loved since that first day all those years ago.

She saw his bottom lip quiver so she reached for his hand.

"Just promise me something,yeah?" she asked.

"Anything." he vowed.

" You won't leave our friends. No matter what. "

"I wasn't planning on it. You aren't thinking about-?"

"No."

Silence settled over them. This was were the great adventure that was their friendship ended.

"You are the best friend I could have ever asked for,Zo. No one else could be this understanding. "

" I just want you happy, Chase. If me being out of your life is what that takes, I'll step aside."

He pulled her in for one last hug, sobbing into her shoulder.

Zoey stayed strong,however, patting his back then pulling away.

"Go."

He obeyed, standing and walking towards the door. He gave her one last regretful look before exiting the lounge,taking her heart with him.

Chase did not go back to his room that night. At least, not before curfew. He wandered around campus, stopping at all of his favorite places. He sat on the edge of the fountain for about an hour, then at the base of that fateful flag pole. He even fell asleep on the beach for a few minutes before deciding he should make his way back to Room 148.

He snuck in quietly, using his key and tried to slide beneath the covers of his bed.

No luck.

His dorm light flickered on as he turned to face his roommates.

"Man,where the hell have you been?" Michael questioned.

"Do you know what time it is? " Logan demanded.

"I was out."

"Out? The boy says he was out! Do you know how worried we were?"

"Sorry, _Dad."_ Chase barked, sarcasm heavy in his voice. He was so not in the mood for this shit.

His best friend gaped at him.

"What crawled up your butt,_Matthews_? You only get like this when it involves something with-"

Chase saw it dawn on Michael just who could cause him to act this way.

He already missed her so much it hurt.

Michael sighed, throwing an arm around his bushy haired friend.

"What happened, Chase?"

" I can't be friends with Zoey anymore. "

"Why the hell not? "

"Rebecca isn't cool with it. "

Logan shook his head. "So you are choosing some chick you've barely known three months over the love of your life? Smart. "

"Zoey isn't the love of my life." Chase grumbled.

"Sure, and I am not the most attractive person in this room." Logan scoffed.

Michael gave him a look that clearly said to shut up.

"Listen,man. Logan is kind of right. Zoey is your girl best friend. Why would you give that up?"

"I want to see if there could be a future with Rebecca. I can't do that with Zoey hanging around. Besides,she is totally okay with it. She told me that my happiness was all that mattered. "

"She would say that, you idiot. Zoey is practically the most selfless person in this entire school. You've broke her heart but she won't show it." Logan said harshly, glaring at Chase.

The other boy shook his head. "Well it is too late. I've already ended it. "

He walked away from his roommates, stripping down to his boxers and climbing under the covers with out another word.

The remaining occupants of Room 148 exchanged a quick glance before turning off the lights and following his lead.

_**What's gonna kill you is the second part**_

He knew it was going to be difficult but never could he have imagined it would be that bad.

She didn't show up for the Gang's daily breakfast at Milo's on campus.

Nor did she appear for the late afternoon movie or picnic dinner on the beach.

He should have known she would do this, tear herself away from the group to allow him to be with them and Rebecca.

He avoided the glares that Quinn sent him, as well as the snide remarks Lola tossed towards Rebecca.

Chase couldn't really blame them , or Zoey. He tried to make himself feel better by believing this would all blow over. She'd be back the next day in her normal seat ,quietly eating grapes.

_**And the third, Is when your world splits down the middle**_

She wasn't.

Neither were Lola or Quinn.

Their absence was felt greatly as the boys tried to go about the usual morning routine. However, without Quinn for Logan to bicker with or Lola to be dramatic about how cold her coffee was getting, they found it tough to do so.

Micheal picked at his stack of pancakes as Rebecca launched into an explanation about something none of the boys, including her boyfriend, particularly cared about. Roommate drama already, blah blah blah.

Logan was growing tired already of his roommate's girlfriend yapping but had resigned himself to the fact there was little he could do at the moment. He could ,however, bail the hell out of there.

"I'm going to go pick up some FroYo for the girls. " He announced, shoving his tray to the center or the table and leaving.

"Hey,yeah. I'll go with you. I could use some of that myself." Michael agreed, quickly standing.

"Ciya Chase."

"Bye dude."

Before he could spit out a proper good bye they were gone.

_**And fourth, you're gonna think that you fixed yourself**_

The next morning, both of his so called best friends left him to have breakfast with Rebecca on his own. He didn't think a boyfriend had ever hated eating a meal alone with his girlfriend as much as he had.

"Traitors." He had mumbled under his breath as he located Logan and Michael carrying white take out trays towards the girls lounge later that day.

He felt as though he was being exiled.

This feeling only lasted the day.

On the fourth day, everything seemed to return to normal. Zoey was even present for a few moments at a time before running off to the "library" or some other location that required her immediate attention. Though it was only momentary, it was refreshing to see her bright face.

It wasn't much but it was better than nothing.

_**Fifth, you see them out with someone else**_

Chase Matthews had never felt more betrayed than he did in that moment as he watched Logan Reese pull a certain blonde into his chest.

Zoey's arms wrapped around his torso in return. Chase could see her smile as she hugged back. Had he sent Zoey running to Logan Reese for comfort? The thought of Logan's brand of 'comfort' sent a wave of nausea straight to his gut.

As she broke from the hug and walked away, Chase began to make his way towards the rich boy with a purpose.

"How dare you!" he growled, shoving his roommate with as much force as he could muster.

"Chase, it is not what you think!"

"Not what I think? Enlighten me, Reese. How was the way you were just hugging her in anyway 'not what I think'?"

"Listen asshole, she's spent the last few days bawling her eyes out in the privacy of her own room. .her." He accentuated each word with a slight push. "And that hug you saw? That was me being her friend because you sure as hell aren't being that. The only reason we are all still talking to you is because she _begged _us no to alienate you. She knows that you need us just as much as she does. "

With a disapproving shake of his head, Logan left the bushy haired boy to consider what he had just said.

_**And the sixth, is when you admit you may have fucked up a little**_

He hadn't slept in over a week, not since Logan told him off. Luckily, classes would not be starting until Monday of the next week.

Chase spent his nights, sitting up on his bunk bed torn between screaming about how stupid he had been and drafting a break up text to Rebecca. Did she deserve a face to face end to their realtionship? Not in his book. He'd given up everything for her. Zoey had been his everything and it may be too late for him to fix that.

He finally built the courage up to send the message.

_**"Becca,we need to talk."**_

_**"Wut about?"**_

_**"I don't think we are working out."**_

_**"R u jking?"**_

_**"No. I am serious. "**_

_**"U r break'n up with me by txt? Gawd,ur such a scumbag."**_

_**"I am sorry you feel that way."**_

_**"Is this about HER?"**_

He didn't bother to answer, there was no need for it. They both knew the truth.

Chase checked his clock. 7 p.m. It would take him about ten minutes to make his way to Fulton Hall.

It was growing dark as Chase made his way across campus , running as fast as his awkward legs would take him. (He really needed to work on his coordination.)

When he finally reached Room 101, he was out of breath but knocked with the strength of someone with more stamina.

Lola opened the door, a curious look on her face that soon slipped into a blank stare.

"What do you want?"

"I need to see Zoey."

"No."

"Lola, please. I don't have time to mess around. I need to see her, _now_."

The Latina wouldn't budge.

Growing impatient, Chase pushed passed her into the room. His eyes landed automatically on Zoey.

She greeted him with a look of pure shock.

"Hey ,you shouldn't be in here. " She said with genuine concern.

He didn't answer her. He simply grabbed her by the shoulders.

"I need you to listen to me, okay?"

Zoey nodded, wide eyed.

"I screwed up. Majorly. It took me a few weeks to figure that out but my eyes are wide open,Zo. "

Her brown orbs filled with tears and her bottom lip trembled.

She wanted to be angry with him, to yell or scream. Maybe even throw a few punches, but Zoey wasn't a violent person. She didn't like to use her fists, she would sure as hell use her words though.

"Chase, I've been pathetically sitting around for nearly two weeks. My heart was ripped open by you choosing her. Like I had been the one to give you the ultimatum. I've spent days trying to figure out where I went wrong. "

"You didn't. It was me, all me." He told her, his own green eyes full to the brim and his voice thick with the hurt he too was feeling.

She was silent, no longer looking at him. Zoey was a forgiving person at heart , all she really wanted to do is throw her arms around his neck and never let go again.

"Are you still with _her?" _

"No. I broke up with her before coming here. "

"Because of me?" She asked, feeling a little guilty. Rebecca may be a skunkbag but she was still a human being.

" That, and being with her just never felt right. Hell, being with anyone feels wrong. Want to know why? _Because_ _they aren't you." _he whispered the last part, hoping not to offend Lola.

Zoey's jaw dropped, her heart fluttering.

Quinn and Lola exchanged looks of shock. He had admitted it! He had finally said it!

Quinn, having waited a tad longer than Lola for this moment, became overwhelmed with thoughts. It would happen at last, all Zoey had to do is tell him how she had always felt about him and life as they knew it would be changed for the better.

"What do you mean,Chase?" Zoey asked wearily. She would not allow herself to get her hopes up.

"I am in love with you, Zoey Brooks. I have been since I hit that stupid flag pole. I literally and figuratively fell for you that day. I never got back up. "

"Chase, you have no idea how long I've waited for you to say that. " she told him, a smile breaking onto her face.

His features scrunched together in confusion.

"What?"

"I'm in love with you too, stupid!" she giggled. "I haven't known as long as you have. I think I figured it out sometime around the dance in 8th grade. "

Suddenly, it was almost as if the weight on Chase's heart was gone. She loved him too! He could have flown in that moment, he was certain of that.

"Well don't just stand there, kiss already!" Lola demanded.

"Out!" Zoey yelled, annoyed at her friends blatant lack of respect for her privacy.

"Going!" Lola chirped, pulling Quinn along with her and slamming the door behind them.

Chase watched them go before turning to Zoey with a wide grin.

"Well, you heard the girl." He chuckled, drawing her too him by the waist.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling herself onto tip toes to press her lips to his in a sweet,blissful kiss.

_**No there's no starting over,**_

_**Without finding closure, you'd take them back,**_

_**No hesitation.**_

**A.N: Well there you go,my first one shot! :3 I'll have an update for **_**Safe**_** probably tomorrow night. I'm spending the weekend with Soul and we've been side by side writing/drawing ^^.**

**Again I own nothing.**


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